29/06/2011 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 29.06.2011 - “Europe cannot stand idly by and watch as history is made by this spectacular push for freedom in the countries of the southern Mediterranean,” said Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP), presenting his report on co-operation between the Council of Europe and the emerging democracies in the Arab world to the PACE’s Political Affairs Committee.
He issued an urgent call for the creation of a “common democratic home”. In adopting a draft resolution based on Mr Gardetto’s report, the Political Affairs Committee considered that the PACE should initiate a discussion on the desirability of convening a Summit of Heads of State and Government of the democracies of Europe and the southern Mediterranean to discuss co-operation between the Council of Europe and the emerging democracies in the Arab world.
“The countries of Europe must be ready to put their values to the test, beyond the immediate frontiers of their continent, and tie their destiny more closely to that of other countries which aspire to democracy and are willing to accept the same standards and scrutiny. An undertaking of this kind also presupposes that the men and women currently in charge in the southern Mediterranean countries want something other than just economic aid from Europe and are willing to embrace our common values of tolerance and respect for freedoms,” said Mr Gardetto.
The draft resolution adopted by the committee proposes a series of measures which the Council of Europe and in particular its Parliamentary Assembly, the Arab countries engaged in the democratic process and other international organisations could implement with a view to ensuring the success of the transition to democracy.